Energy & Utilities

Together, we can tackle the demands of decarbonization, decentralization, and digital enablement.

Decarbonization, decentralization, and digital enablement are disrupting every facet of the energy and utility industry—and in many cases, utilities are leading the change in this complex new world.

But the challenges are real. Organizations must be able to deliver transformational technology and business model shifts at the same time they: navigate layers of state and federal regulations; equip customers to achieve their own sustainability goals; evolve the workforce; reduce operational expenses; increase productivity; and weather threats ranging from cyberattacks to extreme climate events. Becoming digital is essential.

Today’s utilities are nimbler, more efficient, and data-driven. Novel technologies have played a meaningful role in this evolution, but they won’t magically transform utilities into digital enterprises. Being digital is a mindset, not a destination. That’s where West Monroe comes in. 

With a digital-first viewpoint, our team is uniquely suited for helping you adapt to a changing world—swiftly and efficiently—so you aren’t just keeping pace with change, but instead remaining a step ahead of it.

What We Do as Energy and Utilities Consultants 

With deep experience across all sectors—electric, water, gas, clean energy technology, generation, transmission, and energy supply, as well as private equity and clean energy investment advisory—we can help: 

Set your strategy—with confidence 

Energy and utility transformation is accelerating while the regulatory landscape continues to evolve, with a particular focus on driving more efficient, clean, and reliable operations. We’re ready to help you move quickly to modernize aging infrastructure—an imperative for all, especially as utilities face more and more extreme weather events and the increased demand for clean energy. Our experienced teams will help you navigate the increasingly complex regulatory environment and make the right moves to become more efficient, resilient, interactive, and agile.

Advance your journey to digital 

Utilities have long sought to integrate digital solutions using information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT). We’ve been working at the center of that for years, building reliable telecommunications infrastructure and implementing grid modernization solutions such as advanced distribution management systems (ADMS) or advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) to help our clients improve reliability, customer experience, and cost efficiencies – and enabling this transition through advanced field work, digital asset management, and other capabilities. 

But as intelligent grid technologies have advanced, so have customer expectations and regulatory requirements. Successful digital enablement is crucial to absorbing increased workloads resulting from this energy transition—and we’ve got that covered, too. We understand what it takes to be a successful utility in an increasingly digital world. And with end-to-end digital expertise, we can help you put all the right pieces together—starting with a data platform and strategy that allows you to leverage your exponential increase in data—and realize value from it. At the same time, we make sure you have secure, cyber-resilient operations that protect utility assets, critical infrastructure, and the privacy of data and information.  

Because performance starts with people, we’ll find ways to elevate your utility operations by automating activities that are costly or unproductive, while building a digital workplace and a next-generation workforce with critical digital skills. We also design distinctive digital customer experiences, powered by a utility-specific customer information platform that’s simple, intuitive, and engaging—with every click. And last but not least, we’ll help you foster a digital mindset—the most essential element of all for becoming a digital utility.

Accelerate your net-zero transformation 

The march toward carbon neutrality has begun. Our team—with deep industry specialists and multidisciplinary expertise in areas such as human-centered design, technology, analytics, and change management—is ready to lead. We bring the strategic decarbonization experience, particularly in the areas of distributed energy resources (DERs) and transportation electrification—as well as the tools for bringing strategy to life. 

Drawing on our work with a broad range of utilities, we can assist at every step—from analyzing the business case, to developing win-win DER programs and transportation electrification programs, to engaging customers with compelling education tools like our first-of-its-kind Electric Vehicle (EV) fleet total-cost-of-ownership platform. Our proprietary Intellio® Connect platform provides time-saving automation capabilities for DER application and interconnection processes, so your team can focus on optimizing the grid.  

As your DER portfolio grows, you’ll need the capabilities for managing it. We’ll help you establish a DER management system (DERMS) strategy and roadmap—tapping our repository of DERMS functional and technical requirements to select the right vendor and tool for your operations. And our team will stay in the trenches with you to the end, guiding efficient deployment and facilitating all the organizational changes required for a successful DER operating model.  

Want to learn more?